REETHI BEACH
RESORT, MALDIVES
Thought you had to be
a honeymooner to visit
the Maldives? Nope. The
Indian Ocean archipelago
is keen to appeal to more
than just couples, with
resorts such as Reethi Beach
offering single travellers a 25% discount.
So you get to do all the cool stuff
(watersports, spa, lie by a pool) for less.
Win.From £1,499 for seven nights;
Premierholidays.co.ukELEPHANT
ENCOUNTER,
THAILAND
Channel your inner
Attenborough and
study elephants on an
expedition that will take
you deep into tropical
highlands in the shadow of
Thailand’s tallest peak, Doi Inthanon.
Plus, work on biodiversity monitoring
and conservation.Nine-day expedition,
£1,690; Biosphere-expeditions.orgOUR RETREAT, IBIZA
There’s yoga, Pilates,
meditation, wellness
workshops and
oceanside fitness on the
menu at Our Retreat,
alongside fresh organic
meals and villas with
private pools. Gruelling
hours of exercise and limit
calorie intake this is not. YES.From £1,450
per week, all inclusive; Ourretreat.co.ukBIKEPACKING, UK
Kitted out by Pannier.cc, you’ll cycle
in a group into the beautiful Peak
District National Park. At
base camp, sit around a
campfire with newfound
friends before biking
back in the morning.
Peakland Weekender
£189pp, including bike;
Beyonk.comif you don’t
want to get
knocked out
during a bumpy
game drive, som
hardy sports bra
vital. It’s import
however, to accept that you’ll rarely
feel properly clean. Your feet will
be perpetually dusty and you’ll
accumulate half a national park
under your nails on a daily basis.
It’s all part of the experience, so eat
whatever’s put on your plate, turn
off your emails and just embrace
the beauty of the wild.
A huge highlight of this trip was
the optional activities, but it’s a good
idea to plan them out beforehand
and set aside money for them – most
things aren’t included and will
require cash rather than card. (Be sure
to have local currency on you: dollars
for Zimbabwe and Rand for South
Africa.) There’s everything from
canoe trails and white-water rafting
to gorge swings (exactly what it
sounds like) and rhinoceros treks.
Here, you’ll spend the day tracking
rhinos and then end with a visit to
a local village to meet the communityFrom £700pp for a nine-day Essential
African Safari, including eight nights’
camping, most meals and some
activities; Intrepidtravel.comGET THERE✈
MORE SOLO
ESCAPES
YOU’LL WANT
4 TO BOOK NOW
Quite the spotMAIN PHOTOGRAPH ROCCO BIZZARRI. ADDITIONAL PHOTOGRAPHS KRISHNA ADITHYA, CINDY GIOVAGNOLI, DAMIEN RAGGATT, STEFANO SCATA.
*ACCORDING TO AN ANNUAL TRAVEL REPORT PUBLISHED BY ABTA IN OCTOBER 2018
and their very enthusiastic chief.
A sunset cruise on the Zambezi river
costs about £33 for a two-hour trip
and that includes all the drinks you
could want and some local nibbles.
The views are stunning, but the real
highlight is seeing hippos popping
their heads out of the water to yawn.
I should have been born a hippo:
they like their own space and
sunburn easily. Relatable.
But the main focus of the trip
is the game drives: four-hour-long
excursions through the parks while
trying to spot animals. Everyone
wants to see the Big Five – lion,
leopard, elephant, rhinoceros and
buffalo – but there’s so much
more to look out for as
well. We were lucky
enough to see a family
of hyenas playing by
the side of the road.
You have the same
guides with you
throughout the trip,
usually one driver and
one leader, depending
on how big your group is. They
are extremely knowledgeable, so
make the most of having them there
and ask questions. But it isn’t just
game drives and animals that make
this trip so special, it’s the people,
too. Around the campfire each night,
everyone shares a hot meal and a
few beers, and swaps stories. You’ll
leave with a more open and enriched
view of humanity and a refreshed
sense of positivity. There is something
unifying and equalising about
going alone. Everyone pitches in
and helps each other out. We may
have started out as six strangers,
but we became a family. I’d do it
all over again in a heartbeat. ◆COSMOPOLITAN · 131